MRM makes several senior leadership changes

Direct marketing agency MRM Worldwide named five senior leadership appointments on Feb. 13, a move MRM CEO Bill Kolb told Direct Marketing News will help the company “manage the growth and multinational nature" of its client base.

“Given the complexity of our engagements and our commitment to make the complex simple, senior leaders need to have broader range to deliver the promised results for our clients,” said Kolb in an email. Kolb said that now is “the right time to fully leverage the global potential of MRM with these changes and allow both myself and the organization to continue its successful growth plans.”

The promotions are all effective immediately.

Andy Jacobs, formerly EVP and chief technology officer, will have director of global partnerships added to his title. In the newly created position Jacobs will be tasked with growing MRM's technology business, as well as new business development. He will report to Kolb. Prior to joining MRM in 2006, Jacobs served as chief technology officer of Euro RSCG 4D.

Dave Hohman, the former EVP and director of performance, will have his role expanded to EVP and global performance director, a newly created position in which he will report to Kolb. Hohman will be responsible for the company's performance offering and scale growth, as well as providing segmentation, predictive modeling, data analysis, campaign tracking and database marketing operations, according to an MRM statement. Prior to MRM, Hohman served as SVP of data and analytics at Wunderman and SVP of data and analytics at Young & Rubicam Brands.

Tim Cunningham, formerly managing director of the MRM office in San Francisco, will become the company's chief strategy officer. In his new position, Cunningham, who will report to Kolb and work closely with Hohman, will be responsible for the company's thought leadership in the marketplace, as well as “partnering with creative teams to drive better insights and creative,” according to an MRM statement. Before MRM, Cunningham served as SVP of strategy and analytics at Digitas, where he worked with clients such as Mastercard, General Mills, Hewlett Packard, Best Buy and others.

Patricia Berns, previously EVP, global account lead for Verizon at McCann Worldgroup, of which MRM is a subsidiary, will assume Cunningham's former role of managing director of MRM's San Francisco office. Berns, who will report to Dave Boede, president of the Americas, will be in charge of all office operations in San Francisco. Michael McLaren, president of MRM East and chief client solutions director, will take on the Verizon work to ensure “a smooth and seamless engagement,” MRM said.

Andy Queen, former CFO of east regions, will become MRM's EVP and director of commercial operations for the Americas division. In the newly created position, Queen will partner with Boede and report to Kolb.